MARTIN SCHULZ MEP, President of the Socialist group Is business doing enough to tackle climate change? President George W. Bush shocked the world again with his attitude to climate change when he recently announced a new national target: stopping the growth of US greenhouse gas emissions by 2025! Thankfully we in Europe are leading action not just to stop but to reverse climate change, and that requires significant commitment from all sections of society. Of course we always want to see business doing more - the energy sector, aviation, the car industry. Things are happening and business is moving forward because it's environmentally and economically sensible to do so. But we have to ensure that tough legislative standards are met and that there is constant innovation. In April the European Parliament voted a resolution on adapting to climate change. MEPs want cross-sector partnerships to share knowledge and policies, develop tools to gauge the success of measures adopted, and communicate to the public scientific findings and scenarios on the need to adapt to climate change. The Socialist Group wants to see all stakeholders involved to ensure the right balance between competitiveness, environmental protection and social rights. Should the EU be so concerned about the loss of manufacturing jobs to other parts of the world such as India and China? We should all be concerned about the loss of jobs wherever it occurs and whatever the cause. One of the main issues for Social Democrats engaged in EU politics is to make sure that its citizens have decent work, decent pay and decent conditions. The global economy is changing and we have to stay ahead of that change. That is one of the reasons why Social Democrat leaders of national parliaments met in Slovenia on 4 April to issue a call for reform of an EU directive on posting workers abroad. The European labour market should be open for competition - but quality must count, not the undermining of social and labour standards. The single market needs rules and the recognition of social and labour standards. The playing field must be level. Workers in China and in India also deserve these standards too. The fight against social dumping is a crucial aspect of our fight for a social Europe. What are your hopes and fears for France’s presidency? The Presidency of the EU should not be about national flags or personalities or who is supposed to get which top job. The presidency is about co-ordinating 27 member states and working constructively with the Commission and with the Parliament to build agreements to take the EU’s agenda forward. During the French presidency we will continue and hopefully complete the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty. Rather than speculating about who is going to occupy which post we need to see these posts created in the first place. In the coming year we must agree concrete action on the climate change package and I sincerely hope that the French Presidency is able to achieve this. We have also got to ensure that our citizens see that the EU is addressing their concerns following the sub-prime mortgage crisis. We have also got to look urgently at the worldwide food situation and at what the EU can contribute within its borders and outside. I hope that the Presidency will work closely with the Parliament and will lead a united team through challenging times. This section is supported by the Socialist Group (http://www.socialistgroup.eu)
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